Calling Lancelot

Most of us, somewhere in our working past have functioned under the guidance of a Board of Directors. I have worked with several and found that they are nothing like the stuffy, suited meetings you see in old movies where everyone jumps to attention when the head guy comes in. I have also found that some are better to work with than others. In working with the Big Chili Cook-off Board of Directors I believe I’ve hit the mother lode. The Big Chili Board is a creative, energetic, ready to try anything group, who bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, but check their egos at the door. They are all about focus; not to say that we maintain a singular focus during our meetings. We tend to discuss everything from the weather to how much we paid for grapes at the grocery store. Still, in the end, the one thing everybody cares about is doing the best for our firefighters, and I’m not trying to paint a rosy picture. When we have a decision to make we pass it through the funnel of the end results. Will it make money for, and in some way honor our volunteer firefighters? If we’re not sure we give it a try and make adjustments as we go. The 2010 Big Chili Cook-off was a tremendous success. Way more than we had even hoped for, and this Board of Directors, with their big hearts and undying commitment are the biggest reason. They are the Knights of the Round Table in a place a little like Camelot. No armor or damsels in distress, but every bit as noble.